ShawneeDispatch.com

The Board of Johnson County Commissioners last week authorized a contract for renovation, costing almost $1.2 million, of a Lenexa building as the county's new Northeast Multiservice Center.

Remodeling of the building, located at 12425 W. 87th St., will be done by Zimmerman Construction with a bid of $1,180,700. The architect's estimate was almost $1.5 million.

Joe Waters, director of the county's Facilities Department, said the scope of the work includes complete interior demolition, reconstruction with all new partitions and finishes, new heating and air conditioning systems, and limited site work.

On Nov. 6, 2003, the commission approved $2,435,000 to acquire the building for use as the new site of the multiservice center now located at 9303 W. 74th St., in Merriam, in the Georgetown Shopping Center. The purchase of the Lenexa site was completed in April, paving the way for renovation of the building and moving into it in three months.

The current lease for the multi-service center in Merriam expires at the end of August. There are no plans to renew or extend the lease since Shawnee Mission Medical Center plans to demolish the space now being leased by the county, Waters said.

The Human Services and Aging Department offers several services at the multiservice facility, including housing and utility assistance, food and clothing pantry and elderly programs. The county's Correction Department also uses the site as a satellite office for client monitoring.